Thoughts on the Gun Rights Question

"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms ... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. ... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants." --Cesare Beccaria, quoted by Thomas Jefferson in Commonplace Book

The funny thing is that I'm not really your stereotypical "gun culture" guy.  I don't get a thrill out of using them, and I really dislike spending time cleaning them.  It's the 2nd Amendment principle that I'm for - and not some personal gun-love.  The 2nd Amendment is there for both personal protection and protection against a potentially tyrannous government.  The sport of hunting had nothing to do with the 2nd Amendment.  I think the 2nd Amendment is as much for the 21st century as it was for the 18th.  Any legislative attempt to limit or abolish this right should be made with the most careful deliberation.

I am totally against any sort of repeal (either officially or practically) of the 2nd Amendment.  However, the one good argument the anti-gun/gun-control people have is the one that asks "where is the limit?"  That is, how far does a citizen's right-to-carry/own extend?  A grenade launcher?  A nuclear weapon?  I think a lack of limit would be a bad idea, but where would the limit be set?  I want to see a limit that would not lead to a logical slippery slope in the direction of total disarmament.

One thing is for sure: The genie (guns and other weapons that can kill large numbers of people quickly) cannot be put back into the bottle.